Colour Palette
by Teddiiursa
Summary: A place where I mix and match all the colourful little ideas that swirl around in my head. Home of short stories, one-shots and whatever plot bunnies I may or may not turn into full fledged stories. Chapter 2: Grey, or Weiss confronting some uncomfortable truths.
1. Yellow

Her arms burned fiercely.

The punching bag swayed as her taped fists impacted it with rhythmic thumps, her breath coming out in harsh pants as sweat coated her face and body. Parts of her hair were plastered messily to her forehead, the rest of her long blonde hair pulled back in a haphazard ponytail. For someone who normally took much pride in her appearance, she knew she looked a mess in her spandex shorts, tank top and disaster hair, but at this moment she didn't care.

She could still see that smug smile.

Yang scowled as she forced her body to move faster. She circled to the left, throwing lightning fast jabs at her current opponent. The leather bag received the punishment without complaint. Stepping back to the right, she unleashed a heavy hook down low, the bag jerking from the force. She switched it up - head, body, head, body, her arms nothing but a blur as she fired off combination after combination.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been here but it must have been awhile. Her body felt sluggish, overworked and on the verge of collapse. Every breath took effort, her legs felt like dead weight and her arms and shoulders were nothing but pure fire.

But that smug smile remained ever present in her mind, mismatched eyes looking down on her. Mocking her. Goading her. Judging her.

She continued pounding away, going through the various combinations she had learned as a child. The combinations her father had taught her. Two from the left, one from the right, ducking and weaving imaginary punches.

She knew deep down that it wasn't enough. Not fast enough. Not good enough.

With a shout of exertion, she unleashed a powerful straight right. The bag almost flew off the stand, the frame rattling from the force. It swung back toward her but she was finished, her legs refusing to cooperate. It hit her in the chest, knocking her down. She gave a weak cry as she fell as the air rushed from her chest.

She glared angrily at the roof of the gym, gasping for breath.

"Damn it," she seethed, slamming her hands against the padded floor. Tears pricked at her crimson eyes, "Damn it!"

She thought she'd gotten over this. This feeling of uselessness. After endangering Ruby and having to be saved by Uncle Qrow, Yang had vowed she'd never let herself feel that way again. She would be stronger next time, in control. Reliable. Not a burden.

But apparently all it took for all those feelings to come rushing back was getting her ass kicked by a midget. A smug little midget with her condescending looks and silent laughter, frilly umbrella and haughty smiles.

She threw her arms over her face despite the pain it caused to move.

"Don't cry," she whispered hoarsely. "Don't cry, d-don't cry!"

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. She would have if not for her aura. As exhausted as she was, her aura was still likely in the green.

"Don't," she ordered. "Crying doesn't help anyone."

It wasn't just her loss that was getting to her, though. It was what happened after. That mysterious woman who had driven away the pink and brown haired girl.

Taking a shuddering breath, she wiped gingerly at her eyes. The room was filled only with the sound of her own hurried breathing and a quick glance at the window showed darkness.

Many of the facilities at Beacon operated at all hours and that included places like the gym. Open to all who wished to get in a little extra training - or vent out their frustrations on the poor equipment. The nature of their future occupations demanded it. Older students were often being sent on missions or returning at all hours, and so Beacon had to accommodate accordingly.

It meant that this night, fortunately, she had the place to herself. She was sure there had been other students when she arrived but they had since departed. It wasn't any wonder why - a nearby clock reading 3:30.

In the morning.

She'd been there longer than she thought. Her first class of the day was going to be brutal.

With a bit of effort, she rolled over before awkwardly rising to her knees. Her whole body hurt. Looking down, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight of her sweat soaked tank top. It was sticking to her chest uncomfortably, almost translucent and showing her sports bra. That wasn't the worst of it.

"I stink," she declared.

"Join the club," an amused voice said from behind her.

She jerked in alarm, releasing a cry of pain as her muscles seized up at the sudden movement. She fell forward onto her hands, arms straining to keep her from kissing the mat.

"Woah, hey," the voice moved closer, "are you okay?"

Warm hands settled on her shoulders, pulling her upright. Yang blinked in surprise, familiar blonde hair and blue eyes staring back at her in concern.

"Jaune?" she questioned. "What are you doing here?"

As soon as she asked, she registered his attire. Simple shorts, a black singlet and a towel draped across his shoulders. His skin was damp with sweat, his normally messy hair even more unruly.

"I couldn't sleep."

Same as her, though she doubted his sleeplessness had anything to do with disturbing dreams about some mysterious red eyed woman who might possibly be her mother. That it had anything to do with that midget kicking him around a train car while he was powerless to stop it.

"Can you get up?"

"What?" she asked. "Oh, uh - actually, could you give me a hand?"

She felt her cheeks flush a little in embarrassment.

"Sure," he smiled. "Up you get."

He placed his hands under her elbows while she grabbed his forearms, tensing her arms as he lifted her up. Her legs protested the movement and she staggered into him, feeling like a wet noodle. It took her a moment to steady herself, pressed suggestively against Jaune's side.

"Thanks," she grinned weakly, shifting back half a step when she noticed his nervous face. "I think I overdid it a little."

"Just a little?"

"Alright, smart ass. More than a little. Now be a gentleman and help me over to the benches."

With Jaune's help, she hobbled over to her bag and sat down with a groan, kneading her thighs to stop the onset of cramp. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a bottle of water and almost inhaled it, gulping it down greedily. Some of it spilled out down her chin and neck in her haste.

"Thanks again," she said breathlessly before catching his line of sight. "See something you like?"

His eyes shot up.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking contrite. Yang giggled.

"Good to know I can still draw looks looking like this."

She gave an exaggerated stretch to tease him but ended up wincing in pain.

"Ow."

Jaune chuckled as she grinned back.

"I didn't think anyone else was here," she paused, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension. "Uh, how long have you been working out?"

She hadn't seen him at all when she looked around, though this place was pretty damn big. More than big enough to lose sight of someone.

"An hour and a half or so?" he shrugged. "I was doing weights. There were some older guys here but they left a little while ago."

Yang nodded.

Had he seen her little almost breakdown? The thought that he might have seen her like that made her feel sick.

"Keeping those guns in good shape, huh?" she joked, squeezing his arm. It was solid.

She had never noticed before but he was pretty fit. He wasn't buff like Cardin or some other students in their year but he was lean with muscle. He was covered up most of the time in his hoodie or school uniform - or that horrible onesie he had worn on their first night, but it was with some surprise that she noticed how ripped he was.

Perhaps she should have expected it. He _was_ training to become a Huntsman, after all. It was just that Jaune was Jaune. He was so normal and unassuming that sometimes it was easy to forget that he was here for the same reason as everyone else. Of course he was going to be fit. Just because he was a big dork didn't mean anything.

Her fingers trailed up his arms to his shoulders where they flexed experimentally. His wonderfully broad and rock hard shoulders.

"Looking good, man!"

"Uh," he looked embarrassed at her hands on inspection. "Thanks. I think."

He looked adorable as his eyes flittered away.

"You excited for the Vytal Festival? Should be fun."

He grimaced. "I just hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of all those people. Fighting in front of everyone in combat class is nerve wracking enough."

"Ah, you'll be fine. You've gotten a lot better lately."

He looked grateful at the praise, as small as it was. "I hope so. What about you?"

She grinned cockily. "Hell yeah - Team RWBY is going to kick ass! We've got it in the bag!"

"Oh yeah?" he returned her grin with one of his own, "I think Pyrrha will have something to say about that."

It was Yang's turn to grimace. No one had even come close to touching Pyrrha in combat class, let alone beating her. She was on a different level.

"Urgh," she groaned. "Can't you guys leave her out or something? Give us normal gals a shot."

Jaune laughed.

"Anyway, I'm going to hit the treadmill. You good?"

She nodded and watched silently as he moved over to the treadmills. He started off at a light jog before gradually increasing the speed until he was running at a fair pace.

Perhaps he hadn't seen anything after all. He wasn't acting any different.

She shook her head and began stretching her sore muscles and unwinding the tape on her hands. Her arms and shoulders hurt the most. Gritting her teeth, she worked through the various parts of her body until she felt a little better. It wouldn't last, though. It was going to be a long day.

A shower would do wonders yet she remained seated. Her eyes focused on the way Jaune ran, his stride measured and strong. He was moving fast enough now that one wrong step would cause quite a painful fall. She couldn't help but admire the way his muscles flexed as he moved.

"Huh," she muttered.

Her eyes lingered on his tight little tush before tracing his broad shoulders. His skin looked oddly appealing covered in sweat and she briefly wondered how his hair would feel to run her fingers through it.

Jaune wasn't what she typically looked for in a guy but considering how her few crushes had gone in the past, perhaps that was a good thing. It wasn't that she found him unattractive. It was just that he didn't readily exhibit the traits she found attractive in others.

She typically liked guys with a dangerous edge. Someone who looked rugged and knew how to handle himself. Unfortunately for her, the ones she had been attracted to in the past had all turned out to be assholes.

Jaune was nice and a little bit of a goof, but Yang knew she could be a pretty big goof herself. Even though he was socially awkward, he was outgoing and willing to try meet new people. His bravado was false but she had seen firsthand how brave and dependable he could be if the situation called for it. He would do anything for his friends. Everyone knew about his feelings for Weiss, yet Jaune backed off and even helped Neptune patch things up with her teammate instead of taking advantage of the situation to make himself look good.

Most guys wouldn't have done something like that.

He could also dance better than her. That had been a bit of a shock. And he could rock a dress just as well.

She laughed just thinking about it.

And he was a good friend to her sister. Ruby had friends at Signal but Yang had never seen her as close to any of them as she was with Jaune, even in so short a time.

Overall, he was a pretty cool dude - it just wasn't very obvious at first. Never judge a book by its cover. Even if they throw up on your shoes as a first impression.

"Feeling better?" he asked after finishing his run. He was breathing a little harder but otherwise he still looked good to go. He toweled his face as he sat down beside her.

"A bit."

"So everything is fine?" he asked again, though Yang now knew he wasn't talking about her overworked muscles. She paused before looking at him in surprise.

"You saw, didn't you?"

He nodded slowly. "I didn't mean to - I mean, I heard a loud noise and wanted to see what was going on. You were on the floor..." he trailed off.

Yang frowned.

"You don't have to tell me anything," he quickly said, waving his arms. "I don't mean to pry. It's just that you looked... distressed."

When she didn't say anything, "Look, forget it. I shouldn't be-"

"No," she cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at her curiously. "No, it's fine. I just didn't want anyone to see me like that. I-" she hesitated, mouth dry, "I just feel like I let my team down."

She sagged, finally putting to words what she felt. It wasn't just losing a fight or even just having to be saved, but what that could have meant for Blake, Weiss and most importantly, Ruby. As much as the potential identity of that woman nagged at her, as much as that smug smile taunted her, it took a backseat to her sister.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully. He set his towel aside, turning toward her to give her his full attention.

A part of her wondered what the hell she was doing, but her mouth opened anyway. She told him about what happened when she was younger, about searching for clues about her mother - her birth mother. About how she dragged Ruby along when she found something, nearly getting her killed in the process. If not for their uncle...

"I swore I'd never be a burden again," she said angrily, hands fisting on her lap. "Next time I'd be stronger, smarter, I wouldn't be so reckless. And then... on the train..."

Her throat seized up in remembrance of her fear.

A warm hand covered both of her own. "What happened?"

"I lost," she finally said. "I couldn't beat her. I could barely even touch her. Even when I knew she could go after my team next, after my sister, I still _couldn't do anything_!"

"I almost died," she whispered. Jaune tensed.

"What?" he asked.

"She had me. I was defenseless and she was standing over me, and if it wasn't for someone coming, some woman in a mask that might be my _mother_ ," she gave a shrill laugh at his look of surprise, "how messed up is that? It _might_ be my mother? My mother who _left_ without a word and I haven't seen in years, that I don't even know if she is alive or not - why the _hell would it be her?_ She didn't care enough to stay, so why would she care enough to save my life!"

She didn't realise she was shaking until she was in his arms. Her eyes widened in surprise as he embraced her, holding her body against his chest.

"What?" she asked a little confused, still shaking. He hugged her tighter, one hand rubbing against her back while the other cupped the back of her head, fingers threaded through her hair.

"Let it out," he whispered in her ear.

And just like that, she broke.

The first sob was strangled as she wound her own arms around him, fisting his singlet in her hands. The second was louder, her whole body jerking as she buried her face against his neck. The third was muffled by his skin.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, wrapped around each other so tight it was difficult to breathe between sobs, but when she finally calmed down enough to feel embarrassed, her face was a mess of tears and snot.

She pulled away slowly while wiping at her face.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"I-yeah," she did feel better, surprisingly enough. She always viewed such things as a weakness but it was like she felt lighter, somehow. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be. You needed it."

Yang supposed she did. She knew she looked even more of a mess now, eyes feeling swollen and cheeks puffy and red. She was an ugly crier. But for whatever reason it didn't bother her as much as she thought it should. She knew Jaune wouldn't judge her on it.

She met his eyes with her own.

It was a little odd how calm he was about the whole thing. If there was one person who was as awkward as her sister, it was Jaune. A crying girl should have sent him into a fit of panic, yet he had handled it with a skill she never believed he possessed.

"Thanks," she smiled at him softly. "That was-I don't know what that was but I appreciate you being here."

"Hey, no problem. I'm glad I could help."

And he had helped, even if just by holding her.

She busied herself with checking her bag before staggering to her feet. Jaune followed, reaching out to steady her before retracting his hand.

"I'd kill for a shower,"

"No kidding," he said with a laugh.

It was only a short walk to the locker rooms. Like the gym and connecting corridors, it was completely deserted. Pulling open her locker, Yang grabbed a clean towel and her spare bag of toiletries. It was much too early in the morning to use the private bathroom in her dorm so that meant using the public showers.

She took a moment and watched Jaune reach into his own locker.

He really was a cool guy.

Yang was an impulsive girl. Sometimes it landed her in hot water.

But it also meant she rarely let things pass by without acting.

One moment she was by her locker, the next she was standing right behind him. She set her towel and bag down, waiting for him to turn. When he did, he jumped in fright at her sudden proximity.

"Yang? What-"

She raised up on her toes and pecked him on the cheek.

He stared at her, dumbfounded.

She reached forward, fingers splayed against his chest as she softly pushed him back against the lockers. His eyes widened in shock as she followed, her chest bumping playfully against him as she gazed up through her lashes.

"What are you..." he started to say, trailing off as her other hand brushed his cheek. She watched as he swallowed, her thumb passing over his lips, lightly tugging his lower lip down, making it look plump and inviting.

She leaned in and kissed him.

She wanted it to be slow, to take her time. Her lips molded against his, lightly sucking. Just a simple kiss. But when his hands cupped the underside of her ribs, something hot passed through her. She whined low in her throat before pressing forward, opening her mouth.

They exchanged open mouthed kisses, becoming increasingly heated. Both her hands framed his face, palms rubbing against his smooth, strong jaw. One of his hands dropped down to her bare waist, squeezing lightly as they continued to kiss.

It felt good, feeling his hands against her skin. Each time he squeezed her hip, her belly tightened in response, eliciting small heated gasps. Yang shifted her body against Jaune, needing to feel his hard muscle against her soft curves.

They increased the tempo, wet smacks filling the otherwise silent room. She moaned deep in her throat as his tongue brushed her own again and again. Yang had kissed a few people in her life but never like this. Her thoughts felt foggy and unfocused, consumed by her desire.

She had only meant for a simple kiss and received much more. Suddenly, she thought of him kissing someone else like that. It made her feel uneasy.

They parted after a short while, eyes hooded. Yang could feel her hot cheeks blushing red as she breathed heavily.

"What was that?" Jaune finally asked, looking more than a little dazed.

"What do you want it to be?" she returned.

Jaune stared at her as if he couldn't believe this was happening.

"Take me out," she demanded. She knew what she wanted.

"What?"

"On a date," she clarified. "Lets see where this is going. Unless you don't want to?"

A sliver of doubt appeared in her voice.

"I-what, no, it isn't that, I-" he paused, looking frustrated with himself before he finally said, "Okay. Yes." He looked a little unsure.

Yang smiled beautifully.

"Yeah?"

He returned her smile, still looking a little shell shocked. "If that's what you want," he said. "Then sure, why not?"

She leaned in and kissed him again.

 **A/N: I'm a little nervous posting this. I've been writing for a very long time but I've never had the guts to share it with anyone before. Well, here it is!**

 **There might be a follow up to this but for now, this is the end of this particular story. I have some ideas for some longer stories but for now, I'm going to stick to writing small little oneshots and place them here in this collection.**

 **The next one will likely be about Weiss but my mind tends to go from one idea to the next at the drop of a hat, so maybe not.**

 **I hope whoever is reading this out there enjoyed it. :)**


	2. Grey

It was unbecoming of a Schnee to peek through the crack of a door like some unscrupulous individual but that was exactly what she was doing.

The room within was no different than the half dozen lecture halls contained on their campus. It had the same general design as the ones she'd had lessons in; tiered seating leading down to an open floor, a large blackboard and an impressive hardwood desk. It was decorated as expected of Beacon, the walls adorned with diagrams of Grimm, maps of the four major Kingdoms, and even photos and portraits of important people from history such as the Last King of Vale.

What wasn't so usual was what the room was being currently used for. A lesson was taking place but not one from Beacon's curriculum.

A beautiful melody played from the scroll on the desk, a combination of piano and violin that was at once familiar to Weiss from the very many high society gatherings she had attended in her youth. Ice blue eyes watched keenly as two figures moved across the floor, one much more awkwardly than the other, hands clasped and arms embracing one another in what should be an intimate way.

Dancing.

If that wasn't enough, it was the identity of the two dancers that had Weiss questioning if she was, in fact, asleep and dreaming. An absurd, silly, impossible dream. Pure madness.

Quietly she slipped into the room, keeping close to the back wall as she shuffled around into one of the far corners, staying hidden. The room was large and the hard wood benches provided her ample cover, but it was designed for sound to carry from the floor to the students above.

They couldn't see her, but she could clearly see and _hear_ them.

Jaune Arc moved with a grace she had seen him capable of only once before, leading his partner to the best of his ability. A surely challenging task, given that his dancing partner was-

"Damn it," the voice of Neptune Vasilias called out in frustration as his feet got tangled. Jaune laughed. "Not funny, dude!"

Weiss was truly seeing things. This wasn't possible.

"You're thinking about it too much," Jaune tried to explain around his smile. The blue haired boy glowered at him. "Just feel how I'm moving. The steps are simple."

"Simple for you, maybe," Neptune grumbled. "You've been doing this for years."

Weiss watched as Jaune got them both back into position and with a small count, began to lead the other boy across the floor again, the music ending and starting again after a brief pause.

Watching the two together made her uneasy.

She still remembered what Neptune had told her at the school dance. That it was Jaune that had convinced him to come talk to her, to admit that he couldn't dance and that he'd been scared of looking lame in front of her. That he would have accepted her invitation otherwise if not for that.

Jaune, who had done nothing but flirt shamelessly with her since they'd met at the beginning of the school year. Jaune, who had asked her to the dance with that stupid guitar and worse song like they were in some B-class movie. Jaune, who she had dismissed as just another boy who wanted nothing more than her name and money, who just wanted to grab a piece of it for himself like so many had tried before him.

But if he was just interested in her name, in her money, in her being a Schnee, why did he help Neptune? Why would he ever help another boy claim what he wanted?

It clashed with the picture of Jaune she had carefully constructed since meeting him.

She still didn't know how the blonde boy had found out about Neptune and her. Or even how, exactly, Jaune had convinced Neptune to put aside his embarrassment. All she knew was that he had.

Instead of coming over and trying to cheer her up himself, instead of using it as an opportunity and taking advantage of the situation, he had helped them come together.

It felt wrong.

They weren't close friends. At most, they were acquaintances with common friends between them. Weiss couldn't recall a conversation they'd had that hadn't started with some silly line falling from his lips about her.

And yet...

She wanted to ask him why. If he wasn't just putting on some act, if he actually meant all the things he said to her, then why do this? Wouldn't this just make it all that much harder for him, if not completely end it? But whenever she had tried to speak to him after the dance these last few weeks, her tongue would feel woolen and heavy, her throat would close up and she could say nothing.

It didn't help that he was no longer talking to her, either. He wasn't ignoring her. He would greet her politely and include her in whatever conversation he was having with Ruby or Yang or whoever happened to be with them at the time, but that was the extent of it. He no longer looked at her like he wanted all her attention, he no longer uttered cheesy lines in an attempt to impress.

Frankly, not much scared her. The White Fang, her father were but a few - but somehow learning why Jaune seemed content to stand back for Neptune terrified her.

Had she really been so utterly wrong about him? Had she really judged him so poorly? Judged him like her father so often judged others?

And now here they were, Jaune teaching him to dance.

 _Why_ was he teaching him to dance?

With a bit of thought, the answer was obvious.

For her.

"For now, being led is fine, but she'll expect you to lead when the time comes," Jaune began in a calm voice, confirming her fears. "You will be in control of the tempo and direction you move, so any mistake you make, she will make. All you can do is learn the steps and the more you dance together, the more you'll learn how she moves, how to move with her. Soon enough, it'll become like second nature."

Neptune sounded unsure when he replied, "If I don't break her feet first."

"You'll be fine. We've only been practicing a little while now and you've already improved a lot. You react when I shift my weight," to make his point, Jaune swiftly moved to the left, then spun Neptune in a half-step. The blue haired boy looked a little awkward but his legs remained untangled and he didn't step on any feet. In fact, he had almost moved in sync with his leading partner. "Yesterday, that would have been a disaster."

"It still almost was."

Jaune laughed.

She wasn't sure how long she remained in that corner watching them. The song on the scroll must have stopped and started over a dozen more times before with a flourish and an exaggerated bow, Jaune stepped back from Neptune.

Their latest dance had been much more active, at odds with the music and the blue haired teen was breathing heavily as a result. The footwork had been much more intensive and had beckoned more mistakes, but his temporary teacher looked pleased.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm staring," the blond stated. "I doubt you'll need many more lessons."

"Really?" Neptune sounded hopeful.

"Really. Like I said, the more you practice, the easier it gets. I'm sure Sun would help out."

"Yeah, how about we never mention this to him," Neptune quickly replied, looking a bit panicked at the thought. "Like ever."

"You can even practice the steps alone. I'll send you some music that is easy to dance to. You aren't a master but you can move to a beat."

"Thanks, bro."

"No problem."

They exchanged a little more small talk before parting. Weiss shifted as Neptune ascended up the steps and left, looking upbeat if a little tired. Ice blue eyes quickly moved back down to the front where Jaune stood alone, playing with his scroll.

It was the perfect opportunity to question him. They were alone.

But her body wouldn't move.

As she struggled, a familiar song sounded. Her eyes widened in alarm.

No.

The song started slow before the haunting lyrics began, the voice crystal clear and crisp in the silence of the room.

No.

 _Mirror, tell me something, who's the loneliest of them all?_

No. No. Nononono.

She surged forward, gripping the backrest of the bench. Her nails threatened to dig into the wood as her hands flexed.

It couldn't be. There was no way.

 _Fear of what's inside of me. Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?_

Jaune remained motionless as he stared down at his scroll, a complicated expression adorning his face. Weiss struggled with the sight, her voice piercing like the jab of a needle right through the chest.

 _Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see!_

 _I can hide it from the world, why wont you let me hide from-_

"Enough!"

 _-me!_

Her sudden shout startled Jaune, his scroll snapping shut and silencing the song as his hand flexed in surprise. Whipping around, he looked up at her in shock.

"What?"

"Where did you get that?" she seethed, storming down the stairs in a rage.

He gaped at her.

"Where did you get that?" she repeated angrily, getting in his face. "Answer me!"

The much taller boy leaned back. "Er - some guys were talking about it,"

"What guys?"

"I don't know!" he yelled. "Some older students, I don't know who they were. They were talking about you and then one said something about you being a good singer and then they mentioned there was a recording on that popular video site," he paused for a breath, composing himself. "I was just curious."

"But that was - I never - I only sang at a private event! How did that end up on there?"

"Someone there must have recorded it," he explained. "I can delete it if it makes you-"

"Yes! Delete it! Now!"

An awkward silence stretched between them as Jaune opened his scroll. Weiss could already feel her red hot cheeks cooling, her embarrassment being replaced swiftly by guilt. Why could she never talk to him normally? Why did something like this always happen? Either she couldn't get her words out or she yelled at him.

She didn't want to yell at him.

"Done," he said after a few moments. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you would mind. But maybe I should have. It sounded... well, it sounded amazing. You..." he trailed off, looking conflicted.

"What?" she asked.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"What were you going to say?" she pressed.

He hesitated but looked her dead in the eye as he said, "You have a really beautiful voice."

Weiss felt her throat close up.

"It was heartbreaking," he continued softly. "It was incredibly sad... but it was beautiful. I was blown away."

"Stop," she said weakly. "Don't."

He didn't say any more. He looked pained, like he felt he had done something wrong again. But he hadn't, not really. She just couldn't handle such an earnest answer right now.

But isn't that what she really wanted more than anything else?

"Why...?"

He looked confused. "Why? Why what?"

"Why did you make Neptune come talk to me at the dance?"

It was a struggle to get out. She felt her jaw tighten and fight every word, but once they were out she exhaled with a heave.

"You wanted to accompany me," she continued breathlessly. She hadn't felt so nervous in such a very long time. Even plucking up the courage to ask Neptune to the dance hadn't felt quite so bad. Her tummy writhed like a pit of snakes. "You wanted to take me but you helped Neptune instead. Why would you do that?"

Jaune opened his mouth and then closed it, looking a little stunned at her question. Weiss felt her hand clench against her skirt, the material bunching between her fingers.

And then...

"You wanted to go with him. Not me."

Such a simple answer from such a bittersweet expression. He was smiling at her but she could see the sad tilt to his brow.

"He turned me down."

"But not because he didn't like you," he countered quickly. "But because he was being an idiot. When I saw that you were alone - I got mad. I saw you ask him, you know?" he revealed to her surprise. "I didn't mean to see it but I did. I thought for sure he would say yes. How could he not? It was obvious he liked you as well and a girl like you... I didn't stick around to hear his answer so when I saw you were alone and he was alone, I couldn't help it. I got mad. He needed someone to set him straight."

"But _why_ would _you_ do that?" she asked desperately, feeling her composure starting to slip dangerously. "I don't get it! You could have - I don't know! Come talk to me yourself or - or something!"

"That wouldn't have made you happy, though."

She felt like she was going to cry.

"I just want you to be happy, Weiss," he looked away at last. "That's all I've ever wanted."

Her chin trembled.

"Sure, I wanted that to be with me. I thought if I could just show you that I was worth a chance, that maybe... but... well," he forced a chuckle. "You've made it pretty clear that I could never be that for you. Going to the dance with Neptune is what would make you happy. Not me."

She'd been wrong.

Oh so wrong.

She shoved him.

"Hey, what-"

"You idiot!" she snarled before bolting up the stairs in furious dash for the door. "You damn idiot!"

She wouldn't let him see her tears. Tears of sorrow and frustration. She ignored him as he shouted her name, his feet pounding against the steps as he followed.

How could she have been so wrong?

Perhaps the apple didn't fall as far from the tree as she would have liked.

 **A/N: Well that took way longer than it should have and it was pretty short at that. To be fair, I have been writing a whole lot of different ideas but it really isn't an excuse. I just suck at managing myself.**

 **So this little piece comes from that place that feels like they never really gave us much closure on the whole Jaune-Weiss situation. Her view of him was utterly wrong and yet we never really see any sort of acceptance of this or the two of them having any sort of clearing of the air chat. After season two with the exception of the phone call where Jaune pleads with her to save Pyrrha, they don't talk until the most recent episodes and even then, it isn't the time for any sort of heart to heart.**

 **Even when they all had dinner together, they never actually talked directly to each other. Not once. It was a little frustrating.**

 **In the end, this little oneshot-chapter-whatever is just a bit of venting. Weiss still likes Neptune here and hasn't had a change of heart, but feels horrible for having misjudged someone who so obviously, genuinely likes her. She can't help but think of the what-if.**


End file.
